Five reasons to learn Twi while living in Ghana

Do you want to learn Twi in Ghana? In this blog you will find out why you should learn Twi while you are living in this beautiful West African country.

Learn how to speak Twi in Ghana
Twi Language

Twi (together with Fante and Akuapem Twi part of the language group called Akan) is the most spoken language in Ghana. It is mostly spoken in the south, but it is also likely you meet people in the Volta or Northern region who can (at least) understand it.

Read more about the language.

Reasons to learn Twi while staying in Ghana

So, why do you have to learn Twi?

  1. To show respect to the people in the country. No, not all people speak this language, but the majority does (especially in the south). By knowing a few words (or more!) people know you put effort in learning their language.
  2. To understand the culture better. Language and culture are connected. By learning the language, you will find out things about the culture you wouldn’t understand with only English.
  3. Next time when you hear some kokonsa about you, you can tell the people you’ve heard everything they said. That’s gonna be interesting…
  4. To meet new people! Trying to speak the language will open the world to meeting new people in Ghana. Everyone loves it when someone tries to speak your mother tongue, and most likely they want to know more about you (and you about them).
  5. It’s fun! Challenging your mind and trying something new is exciting!
Where to learn Twi

Now you know why you should learn Twi (even if you are only staying in Ghana for a short vacation), you probably wonder where you can learn this language. The easiest way is to ask a friend or your tour guide once you are here to explain some basics. Try to learn short phrases like “how are you?” “my name is …” and “how much is this?”.

If you really want to go deep into the language you can take a language course, watch some youtube videos or start listening to Twi music and watching movies.

Do you want to practice the language with native speakers? Come to Language Café Accra. Every Friday 6-8PM in Osu we practice the language, ask questions about the culture and afterwards we are going out for dinner and drinks. You are welcome to join!

More about traveling to Ghana

Send me an email if you have more questions about traveling to Ghana. I live here for almost two years now, and I have seen almost the whole country (mainly solo). Looking forward to hearing from you!

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